South Wales Fire and Rescue Service adopts new waterwall storage unit for fighting remote fires

Published: 08 June, 2012

CINTEC America, manufacturer of structural masonry retrofit strengthening, repair, and preservation, as well as Blast Mitigation has launched the Hexagon Water Dam, a waterwall water storage unit developed to meet the needs of the South Wales Fire and Rescue Service (UK) to fight remote fires. The inflatable waterwall dam is designed to provide additional rapid water storage for firefighting appliances where main water supply is unavailable.

The waterwall dam allows a bouser or tanker to empty water into the unit and leave location to refill. Meanwhile the fire appliance can instead draw water from the Hexagon storage unit, enabling a more timely and efficient fire response.

CINTEC’s waterwall dam comes flat packed in its own valise and can be quickly inflated using readily available air pumps or compressed air supply. As soon as the dam is inflated, the device is ready to receive water. The unit is designed to withstand uneven ground and gentle slopes, making it an especially viable option for remote and rural fire response locations.

The light-weight, compact unit measures 3’3” x 14’3” x 12’3” when inflated, but can be adjusted in size and capacity to suit client needs and requirements.

The unit shown weighs 127 lbs when empty, and can hold 2745 US Gallons.

Related Articles

Compartment fires present a range of risks to the firefighter. The dangers of the combustion gases, radiant heat and explosions are but some of the deadly hazards faced by responders. Nowhere is this more apparent than onboard a ship, and in particular on a Corvette, as built for the Swedish Navy for surface to surface warfare, mine countermeasures (MCM) and anti-submarine warfare (ASW). Ann-Marie Knegt reports on a versatile extinguishing system that is enhancing safety and fire response for Sweden’s Navy.

Taking place at the NEC (Birmingham, UK) this September, the free-to-attend Emergency Services Show is open to all ranks throughout the fire and rescue service and industrial brigades, including overseas visitors. The two-day event (24 and 25 September) offers live demonstrations, free seminars, workshops and an exhibition showcasing cutting-edge equipment, vehicles and technology.

Future EU regulations that cover environmental issues will potentially affect foam discharge. In all EU Member States, as in the UK, national policies on fire fighting foams containing fluorochemicals are founded on a combination of EU Directives and local legislation.

Firefighting in the high hazard industries is a specialist business. Incidents occur on a surprisingly regular basis globally. Gaining hands on experience with specialist equipment backed up by application knowledge and fixed system alternatives is always valuable, and, until now, a rare objective to achieve.